DayTrader

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...esnt-work.html

Since I know a lot of the "newcomers room" peeps rarely check out the 12-step room.... I thought I'd link to a post over there. Worth your time to read....I promise.

least

My home group is a discussion group and it must be The Ideal Discussion Group 'cause the topics for discussion are always related to recovery from alcoholism. Must be some sorry ersatz 'discussion' group meetings out there that talk about other crap instead of recovery. I always learn something of value from the discussions we have about recovery. This week's topic was 'fear' and it was very enlightening. I don't go to as many meetings as I used to, but those I do go to are always good.

I understand tho the dilemma of those who say "it doesn't work". Well nothing works unless you plug it in and turn it on! If my computer's not 'turned on' and receiving the signal of course it won't 'work'.

I guess I'm blessed then cause the meetings around here are always on topic and relevant to recovery.

Cottonwoodchris

"It works if you work it!" I hear it at the end of every meeting. It's not an automatic cure, just to go to meetings. Thanks, DT.

eddie73

It depends on what your attitude is to it imo. I personally think that alcoholism is a biological condition and will come out in the wash no matter what life throws up. The solidarity is what I am getting from the group. I dont think the 12 steps are for everyone, but whatever works works in the end

24hrsAday

Yep.. i respect Sobriety and at the end of the day it just matters what works best for each person! i really like my A.A. Group..

DayTrader

I've never actually heard anyone who's worked all 12 share that opinion.

I thought the same thing early in recovery though... until I tried them... until I worked them all and incorporated them into my life. Perhaps the more accurate statement would be "Not everyone will work the 12 steps." That would match my experience.


I think that's why there's the Herbert Spencer quote at the end of the book. Perhaps it should have been at the beginning?

yeahgr8

Actually i am pretty dumbfounded again lol please remove my post! Cant be bothered to get into this again:-)

alicatglamxxx

A big part of it is willingness; sometimes just showing up can be the hardest thing to do. I find that I personally like NA meetings better than AA, seems that here in Atlanta most AA meetings I attend are focused on God and people rambling off their tales of woe. Finding a meeting you like is important as well...I've found only two meetings that I actually look FORWARD to attending..

JJB

AA has saved a lot of people and I think that's great but I personally stopped going to them because i didn't feel that listening to people talking over and over about their drinking history was really useful. I think talking about how we're coping with recovery would be more useful but maybe it just depends on the group you go to.

Itchy

AA has been my lifeline through this. Even though I only go to two meetings a week with one group, it fills a need for eye contact for me. That human hug and reality which is the result of being in the reality of being me, with no judgement about my drinking past.

I don't do religion and am not an atheist either, but I admit I am uncomfortable by the handholding Lord's prayer at the end. However my group doesn't do religion during the meeting. I am getting better at it though because I know the gropup better each week so it isn't like the first meeting where they were almost strangers to me.

I sure learned a lot from all of you here in SR, and now realize why they say 90 meetings in 90 days for AA. You see here I have been doing reading and learning daily, for more than an hour a day.

But AA alone would have been a bust for me had it not been for here and vice versa. Why? Because I have gotten alternatives like SMART and links to their pdfs, book referrels, rational approaches, all of which I intend to use in part for my own eclectic recovery experience. I take what I can use and leave the rest. Funny how things I "left" and thought a bad fit for me in my first weeks make more sense to me at 7 weeks.

The bottom line is that the more tools I have, the more I can fix, just like a mechanic. If someone told you they were going to overhaul your vehicle engine and opened their toolbox and had only one screw driver or hammer inside, how confident would you be in their ability?

But that is just me. There is no "one only" way.

nogard

I do work a twelve step progranm and have for a while now. Its the solution for me, however, I recognise that others find a different solution and I respect that. In living step 12 its via attraction not promtion, and example, sharing my story and what worked for me.

Kevin

Bamboozle

I am incapable of working 12 steps. The whole 'god' thing is a stopper. I won't compromise who I am and how I think to twist it into such a fashion in order to go along with something that other people think will work for me. I spent most of my life twisting who I am and my thinking in order to please other people. That seriously messed me up and I won't do it anymore.

Different strokes for different folks. It's important that everyone who wants to quit finds something, really anything, that works.

VeeTee

Nice one, itchy -
The bottom line is that the more tools I have, the more I can fix, just like a mechanic. If someone told you they were going to overhaul your vehicle engine and opened their toolbox and had only one screw driver or hammer inside, how confident would you be in their ability? (quote itchy).

I'm following you - trying to educate myself about alcoholism as much as I can. Hearing people share at AA meetings is very valuable for me, as is reading here.

Vee

Kerbcrawler

AA, Doesent Appeal to me either, firstly not wanting to think of oneself as an Alcoholic, secondly, very doubtfull, you will remain Annonymous in smallville, yes of course not being into the christianity god beleiving, could also pose a problem, trying to deal withit in other ways is more Appealing, i see it as a drink problem, bad habit, that needs dealing with, if allowed to continue will threaten my life basically, on that note, i want to stay alive and live a healthy life free from the addiction dependancy on a substance.though i know how tough it is, to keep on top of this and remain free from it,
when surrounded by it on all sides, the pressures of modern living, it seems to work well for a lot of folk here, each to there own path of remaining sober i guess.

WakeUp

I was skeptical at first, but AA and the 12 Steps have been a miracle in my life. I don't believe in God, nobody made me believe in anything, yet I'm living the Promises and living life.
That's how it's been for me.